About 1999 numerous SERVICE overprints in Bengali began to appear on the market, in the form of shifts in the overprint, inverts, double, etc.. Most were on the Russian printing definitives, but several were also on the Harrison and Asher printings. They were done on stamps that were not officially overprinted, nor scheduled to be overprinted. Many collectors soon lost interest when it appeared they were being produced illegally by a government employee, in collusion with a local stamp dealer, Mr. Zahid Husain (Helal Bhai), and the number of such items was increasing. The following items must be considered fraudulent and are not considered legitimate post office issues. While it is true that they were overprinted at the same location as other overprints, Mr. Hosain gave the person sheets of stamps to overprint. It is not true that they were “trial” overprints, items to be released but then cancelled, etc. They are outright fakes and nothing more. It is said that one or more of them can be found on Specimen for Approval Folders. While this is most likey true, the folders are also fakes.

The person responsible for these fakes has lost track of all the varieties that were created. It is said it could be as high as 200 different varieties. Many others, not shown here, exist.